


An Unexpected Task

by varricscrossbow



Series: Ellana Lavellan [1]
Category: Dragon Age - All Media Types, Dragon Age: Inquisition
Genre: Other
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-08-05
Updated: 2018-08-05
Packaged: 2019-06-22 04:01:11
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,783
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15573303
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/varricscrossbow/pseuds/varricscrossbow
Summary: Keeper Deshanna Lavellan entrusts Ellana with the dangerous task of gathering information from the shemlen at the Conclave.





	An Unexpected Task

The sun was already high in the sky, the smell of the roast on the fire signaled to all the people around that lunch time was coming closer. Ellana was more than satisfied with the results of her hunting that day: she had about enough nugs to feed her clan for the whole day. On her face, she carried proudly the vallaslin of Mythal, but her friends used to say that it should actually be Andruil’s, for she’s always been a skillful hunter.  
She brought the last handful of nugs to her younger sister, who was in charge of skinning them for the roast that was being prepared. Ellana could tell by the look on her face that she wasn’t exactly thrilled with the role she’d been assigned to. Such behavior was typical of her. Elanor hated doing domestic chores, she hated being confined with the rest of the clan, but everyone was supposed to help in some way and the Keeper found her much too young to be trusted with anything more daring. Ellana understood her sister was completely capable and that the actual reason she couldn’t go on small errands as she wanted was that she was a mage. Avoiding unnecessary displays of her magical ability was the smartest way to prevent unwanted problems with the shemlen, especially the so-called Templars.  
“These are the last ones!” - said Ellana, sitting by her sister’s side and immediately starting to help her skin the remaining nugs.  
“Gods, Ellana! This is so boring, why can’t I go hunting with you??” - Elanor complained, taking all her frustration out on the nug’s carcass she had in hands.  
“Because it is obviously unwise for more than one person to go hunting for nugs, since we’d scare all of them away.” - The younger elf sighed heavily with despair.  
“I bet I could kill a bear and feed these people for a whole month if I had the chance!!”  
“No one is doubting your capableness, lethallan.” - It was always the same argument and Ellana always managed to try and explain patiently to her, no matter how many times the subject came up.  
“Keeper is.” - Elanor threw the nug in a basket already full of them and looked up with a frown. - “ Speaking of whom…”  
Ellana turned to look and saw Keeper Deshanna approaching them.  
“Aneth’ara, Keeper” - She greeted the old woman, with a smile. Her sister remained silent, pretending to be focused on her task. The old woman stopped, leaning on her staff, appearing to contemplate the young woman in front of her before saying anything.  
“Aneth’ara, da’len. Can I speak with you for a moment?”  
Before Ellana could even reply, Deshanna had already turned away and was walking back to her tent. She looked at Elanor and was surprised to see a feeling of fearful anticipation on her sister’s face, trying to hide that she felt just the same. Being the First to her Keeper, Ellana was used to the ways of the woman. Since she became of age and acquired her vallaslin, she had spent nearly every spare time having lessons about the old ways and other equally important matters. While other girls of her age worried about finding a suitor, getting married and breeding, Ellana was devouring every book of elven lore she could find. In the future, she would replace Deshanna as Keeper of Clan Lavellan and would be in charge of holding and passing that knowledge along generations.  
As soon as she exchanged looks with her sister, she knew something was wrong. Rare were the days she’d seen the Keeper looking so serious. Despite her old age, she was usually seen smiling. A smile that carried a lot of wisdom and experience within, a warmth Ellana looked for every time she felt uneasy about something. But there was no reassuring smile this time and Ellana knew she had to face it anyway.  
She entered the Keeper’s tent to find the old woman sitting beside a small fire, staring at it intently like it was the most interesting thing in the world.  
“Please, da’len, take a sit.” - Deshanna gestured towards the spot in front of her, doing a poor job at disguising her concern when she looked at Ellana. The young woman took her seat and remained silent, waiting for the Keeper to speak first.  
“I’ve got some troubling reports from the south, my child. If there is any truth to what I’ve been told, we’ve got trying times ahead of us.” - Deshanna finally looked up to see the frightened girl in front of her. - “Word is that the shemlen let a rebellion outbreak and the conflict is spreading quickly. Their mages and templars are fighting amongst themselves. Their chantry is no longer in control and the outbreaks are happening in more than one place.”  
“But this is awful! Should we move again?  
“Yes, da’len. We must try and stay away from this conflict for as long as we can. I dread to think of what could happen if we get caught in the middle of this conflict, we don’t know how far it could go and what damage it would do. This is why I need your help, my child!”  
“My help?” - Ellana couldn’t possibly imagine how she could help in such a matter. She would of course, do everything in her power to try and protect her people, move them as far as possible from this hostility, especially her sister and the other mages. Other than this, there was possibly very little she could do, but Keeper Deshanna would prove her wrong.  
“I cannot leave the Clan, da’len, it is much too dangerous. You are my first and therefore, the one I trust the most. I know you are responsible and capable enough for the task I am about to rely upon you.”  
“What is it that you want of me, Keeper?” - The girl asked, trying to hide the fear and doubts in her face.  
“I know there is to be a meeting amongst the shemlen, they are to decide what to do about this struggle. I am hoping they come to an agreement and put an end to it already, but that’s just me being optimistic.” - She smiled, perhaps in a failed attempt to lighten the mood and prepare Ellana for what was about to come, but the girl did not respond. - “I fear we can’t just hide in the forest and pretend this isn’t happening, da’len. For all I know, this could affect everyone in every corner of Thedas and we must be prepared for whatever happens. Do you understand what I’m saying, lethallan?”  
“I do, Keeper! This is all very troubling, but I still don’t get how I am supposed to help…?”  
“Ellana, I need you to attend this meeting. I need you to go there and find out what the shemlen intend to do about this mayhem they created themselves. Be discreet, try to blend in case there are other elves there. Bring back all the information you can, help us be ready for whatever must come.”

Night time came and Ellana prepared herself to sleep, even though she doubted she would get any sleep at all. There was so much in her mind after hearing the Keeper’s request, so much she had to consider. She knew it was an important task and she would do it for the good of her people, she felt honored knowing how much the Keeper trusted her, but none of these things stopped her from being scared to death.  
“Now you’re going to tell me, there is no escape!” - Ellana turned to see Elanor entering the room they shared. She had been avoiding her sister since she left the Keeper’s tent that very evening. She had a lot to think about and the younger elf wouldn’t stop pestering her with questions, so she just lost herself in the forest where she could be alone for some time. Now she felt like it was a good time to tell her since she would find out when Ellana had to leave anyway, so she did.  
“Can I come?” - Elanor asked, unable to contain her excitement. - “Please, Ellana!! This is my chance to see the world! I’m 13 and I’ve never left this godsforsaken clan!”  
“No, Elanor, and this is my final answer. Please, don’t insist!” - Ellana rolled her eyes. Elanor must be mental to think that she would drag a mage child across half of Thedas with uncontrolled Templars on the loose.  
“But Ellana, this woman must be mentally deranged to ask you to travel this far on your own!” - The older sister barely started to formulate an answer when the other one interrupted her. - “If you ask nicely, I may be able to stun her in her sleep and give her as an offering to Fen’Harel…”  
“Elanor…” - Ellana sometimes just could not believe the kind of shit that came out of her sister’s mouth.  
“You’re right, better not to. She’s too old and saggy already…”  
“Elanor, please…”  
“I bet the Dread Wolf goes for the young and pretty…”  
“Fenedhis! Elanor, go to sleep and stop saying his name.” - Ellana lost what little patience she had at the moment, covering her head with a blanket, letting Elanor know that conversation was over and it was time to go to sleep.

Too soon came the day of her departure and Ellana was not as prepared for it as she thought. It was hard saying farewell to the people of her clan, especially her sister and her mother, but at least she was not going alone. Henriel, a friend of hers and a fairly skilled warrior of the clan, volunteered to accompany her through her journey. It appeased her to know that she wouldn’t be on her own, but it did not stop her from worrying about those she was about to leave behind.  
Elanor was the toughest goodbye.  
“Dareth Shiral, Lethallan…” - Elanor embraced her sister tight and noticed proudly that she was almost as tall as her. Ellana’s always been tiny, even for elven standards.  
Ellana was ready to leave. Followed by Henriel, she started to walk away without looking back. She was afraid that if she waited too much, it would become even harder to go and she would start to get more emotional than she’d like to. They would be soon deep into the woods and she needed to be focused and alert, in case they ran into trouble. As they were halfway in the path that led away from their camp though, she heard the unmistakable voice of her sister yelling:  
“May the Dread Wolf kick a shemlen in the balls if you need!!!”


End file.
